St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-12
Progress of the Inquiry Into the Terrible
Accident of Thursday
Afternoon.
The Political 0aldron Beginning to Bub-
BILE Perceptibly-The Police
Commission.
MT. Lowry Refuses to Give Out Any
Tips on His Plans For the
Motor Line.
commencement Day at the Minnesota
Hospital College--A Great
Ctty'S Poor.
THE GAS EXPLOSION.
Another Victim Dies--Inquest over
MieIhke.s Remnins.

Miethkess Remains.
Charles Thomas, another of the victims
of the terrible explosion at the Minneapolis
gas works Thursday afternoon. died yes
terday morning at st. Barnabas hospital.
The injury which caused his death was
deep cash upon the forehead. which pene-
trated to the brain, the skull being frac-
tured. p. II. ellis, the third man injured,
is still alive, and it is expected that he will
survive his injuries. Ernest Methke,
who died Immediately after the explosion.
was member OF the Bricklayers' union and
of Herminan Lodge No. Is. Knights of
Pythias. and will be buried Sunday after
noon from Knights of Pythias hall.
An inquest over his remains was
begun by Coroner Hill Yesterday after
noon, but was only partially heard, and
will be resumed to-day. a. B. Jackson ap-
peared as an attorney for the Gas Light
company. and his careful cross-eXamination
of the witnesses tended to delay consider
ably.
THE TESTIMONY.
The first witness was John Downs, the
builder and contractor, who testified that he
was in the engine room at the time of the ex-
ploSion. and identified the remains. He had
known Miethke for years.
}. j. Mclean, employed as an iron worker
by the Natural Gas and Fuel company of
Chicago, testified TO knowing and seeing
Niethke 1T the time of the explosion.
Frank Carnaby and F. w. Babcock. EN-
ployed by the North Star Iron works. iden-
titled the remains of Charles Thompson, whom
they had known three years.
W. II. Gartley, who was in charge of the
work which was being done by the National
Gas and Fuel company, of Chicago. for the
Minneapolis gas works, was in the boiler
room at the time of the accident. He de-
scribed the 'scrubber" as a reservoir, con-
siStiug of cylindrical shell six feet in dame
ter and twenty feet nigh, divided throughout
its length by an iron diaphragm extending
within eighteen inches of the top, be-
ing divided into four compartments
by means of wooden trays on which were
wooden blocks Of AKA inches Slabs eight
inches long. The gas goes TO the bottom of
the "Scrubber," passes up on one side and
down on the other side of the diaphragm, and
through the blocks out to the Minneapolis
Gas company's mains. There was no OPEN
ing by which the dry gas could escape within
ten feet of the top. The openings are six
doors at the bottom, 2O-inch inlet on
one side of the diaphragm anu a
20-inch outlet on the other side.
There are also doors for the removal of the
blocks. Witness theory was that the eX-
plosion resulted from mixture of gas and
air, the gas coming from the material used in
fitting up the base of the reservoir, which was
Iime. He had noticed a slight odor of gas
previous to the accident. The scrubber
should withstand a pressure of at least fifteen
pounds to the square inch. The accumu-
lation of gas was after the closing of
doors of the scrubber on Wednesday,
when a leak was made with candle. There
were two or three inch holes in the bottom
through which water escaped. About forty
feet of pure gas mixed with air might cause
an explosion. 1t is not usual to use Il light in
gas houses. If lime was placed where tenn
perature was higher it might evaporate and
give off gas.
w. L. Ebert, Superintendent of the Mime
apolls Gas Light company, did NOT in
dorse Mr.. Gartley's theory; did not
think the lime used would produce
sufficient quantity of gas to cause an eX-
ploslon. He had used the same lime time and
again. The serubber would naturally be
filled with air which must be displaced. The
blocks used looked like cheap lumber and
were resinous and wet.
Edward E. Morrell, employed by the Ma
tional Gas and Fuel company, had used q
tight in the scrubber. -Meithke was working
at the top of the cupalo and Thompson at
the door ct the bottom at the time of the eX-
plosion. The inquest here adjourned to
o'clock Saturday morning, when tue jury will
visit the scene of the accident.